The U Street-Congress Heights Line designated Route C53, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Congress Heights station of the Green Line of the Washington Metro and Woodley Park station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro. Late night trips are truncated to Duke Ellington Bridge. The line operate every 12 minutes between 7 AM and 9 PM, and 20 minutes after 9 PM. Route C53 trips are roughly 60 to 70 minutes.

Background

Route C53 operates daily between Woodley Park and Congress Heights stations via Capitol Hill. Late night trips are truncated to Duke Ellington Bridge. The route provides crosstown service without entering Downtown Washington. Route C53 operates of Shepherd Parkway division.

Stops

Bus stopDirectionConnectionsWashington, D.C.24th Street NW / Connecticut Avenue NWWoodley Park stationNorthbound terminal,Southbound station Metrobus: C51, D70 Washington Metro: Calvert Street NW / Connecticut Avenue NWWoodley Park stationBidirectional Metrobus: C51, D70 Washington Metro: Calvert Street NW / Biltmore Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51Calvert Street Loop / Calvert Street NWDuke Ellington BridgeNorthbound terminal,Southbound station (Late night and early morning only) Metrobus: C51Calvert Street NW / Lanier Place NWSouthbound Metrobus: C51Adams Mill Road NW / Columbia Road NWNorthbound Metrobus: C51, D72, D7418th Street NW / Columbia Road NWSouthbound Metrobus: C51, D72, D7418th Street NW / Belmont Road NWBidirectional Metrobus: C5118th Street NW / California Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51U Street NW / Florida Avenue NWNorthbound Metrobus: C51U Street NW / New Hampshire Avenue NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, D60, D6XU Street NW / 14th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, D50, D5XU Street NW / 13th Street NWU Street stationBidirectional Metrobus: C51 Washington Metro: U Street NW / Vermont Avenue NWU Street stationBidirectional Metrobus: C51, C57, D44 Washington Metro: U Street NW / 9th Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: C51, C57 Florida Avenue NW / 7th Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: C51, C57, D40, D4XFlorida Avenue NW / Georgia Avenue NWNorthbound Metrobus: C51, C57, D40, D4XFlorida Avenue NW / 6th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, C57Florida Avenue NW / New Jersey Avenue NWNorthbound Metrobus: C51, C57, C91, D32Florida Avenue NW / 4th Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: C51, C57, C91, D32Florida Avenue NW / 2nd Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: C57Florida Avenue NW / R Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: C57Florida Avenue NW / First Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C57Florida Avenue NW / North Capitol StreetBidirectional Metrobus: C57, D30Florida Avenue NE / P Street NESouthbound Metrobus: C57Florida Avenue NE / Eckington Place NENorthbound Metrobus: C57Florida Avenue NE / 2nd Street NENoMa-Gallaudet U stationBidirectional Metrobus: C57 Washington Metro: Metropolitan Branch TrailFlorida Avenue NE / 3rd Street NESouthbound Metrobus: C57Florida Avenue NE / 5th Street NEBidirectional Metrobus: C57Florida Avenue NE / 7th Street NEBidirectional Metrobus: C578th Street NE / K Street NEBidirectional Metrobus: C71, D368th Street NE / H Street NEBidirectional Metrobus: D20, D2X8th Street NE / F Street NEBidirectional8th Street NE / D Street NEBidirectional Metrobus: C43, D24 (Eastbound only)8th Street NE / C Street NEBidirectional Metrobus: C43, D24 (Westbound only)8th Street NE / Constitution Avenue NESouthbound Metrobus: C518th Street NE / Massachusetts Avenue NENorthbound Metrobus: C518th Street NE / East Capitol StreetBidirectional8th Street SE / Independence Avenue SEBidirectional8th Street SE / D Street SEEastern Market stationSouthbound Metrobus: C55, D10, D1X Washington Metro: 8th Street SE / D Street SEEastern Market stationBidirectional Metrobus: C55, D10, D1X Washington Metro: 8th Street SE / E Street SENorthbound Metrobus: C558th Street SE / G Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C558th Street SE / L Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C11, C55M Street SE / 8th Street SENorthbound Metrobus: C11, C55 MTA Maryland Bus: 315 PRTC OmniRideM Street SE / 9th Street SESouthbound Metrobus: C11, C55 MTA Maryland Bus: 315, 735, 850 PRTC OmniRideM Street SE / 10th Street SENorthbound Metrobus: C11 MTA Maryland Bus: 315, 735, 850 PRTC OmniRide11th Street SE / O Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C11, C41, C51Marion Barry Avenue SE / Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SESouthbound Metrobus: C11, C15 (Southbound only), C23 (Southbound only), C31 (Westbound only), C41, C51Marion Barry Avenue SE / 13th Street SENorthbound Metrobus: C11, C15 (Southbound only), C23 (Southbound only), C31 (Westbound only) C41, C51Marion Barry Avenue SE / 14th Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C15 (Southbound only), C23 (Southbound only), C31 (Westbound only)Marion Barry Avenue SE / 15th Street SESouthbound Metrobus: C15 (Northbound only), C23, C31 (Eastbound only)Marion Barry Avenue SE / 17th Street SENorthbound Metrobus: C15 (Northbound only), C23, C31 (Eastbound only)Marion Barry Avenue SE / 18th Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C23Marion Barry Avenue SE / Marbury Plaza ApartmentsBidirectional Metrobus: C23Marion Barry Avenue SE / Altamont Place SEBidirectional Metrobus: C23Marion Barry Avenue SE / 25th Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C23, D10Naylor Road SE / Marion Barry Avenue SENorthbound Metrobus: C21, C23, C25, C26, C27, D10Naylor Road SE / Alabama Avenue SESouthbound Metrobus: C21, C23, C25, C26, C27, D10Alabama Avenue SE / 25th Street SESouthbound Metrobus: C21, C25, C26, C27, D10Alabama Avenue SE / Ainger Place SEBidirectional Metrobus: C21, C25, C26, C27, D10Alabama Avenue SE / Hartford Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C21, C25, C26, C27, D10Alabama Avenue SE / Jasper Street SENorthbound Metrobus: C21, C25, C26, C27, C29, D10Alabama Avenue SE / Irving Place SESouthbound Metrobus: C21, C25, C26, C27, C29, D10Alabama Avenue SE / 24th Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C21, C25, C26, C27, C29, D10Alabama Avenue SE / 22nd Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C21, C25, C26, C27, C29, D10Alabama Avenue SE / Bruce Place SESouthbound Metrobus: C21, C25, C26, C29Alabama Avenue SE / 18th Place SEBidirectional Metrobus: C21, C25, C26, C29Alabama Avenue SE / 18th Street SENorthbound Metrobus: C21, C25, C26, C29Alabama Avenue SE / Stanton Terrace SESouthbound Metrobus: C21, C25, C26, C29Alabama Avenue SE / Stanton Road SEBidirectional Metrobus: C21, C25, C26, C29Alabama Avenue SE / 15th Place SEBidirectional Metrobus: C21, C29Alabama Avenue SE / Congress Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C21Alabama Avenue SE / 13th Street SECongress Heights stationBidirectional Metrobus: C21, C27, C29 Washington Metro: Congress Heights stationBus Bay ESouthbound terminal,Northbound station Metrobus: C21, C27, C29 Washington Metro:

History The U Street–Garfield Line originally operated under the Capital Traction Company which operated under streetcars in the late 1800s. Route 92 operated under the Good Hope Line while 90 operated on a combination of the New Jersey Avenue, U Street, and Florida Avenue/8th Street lines. Both route 90 and 92 operated between Southeast DC and Duke Ellington Bridge via the Calvert Street Loop, Barney Circle, and Washington Union Station mainly along 8th Street, Florida Avenue, and U Street. The line would later be extended to McLean Gardens. The U Street portion would be electrified in 1892 while the Florida Avenue/8th Street portion would be electrified in 1908.

Eventually, the Good Hope Line was converted into buses on January 26, 1925 while route 90 remained operating under streetcars when the Capital Traction Company and Washington Railway & Electric Company merged and formed the Capital Transit Company. Later routes 90 and 92 were acquired by DC Transit in 1956 and converted into buses on January 28, 1962 when streetcars were shut down. Routes 90 and 92 would be acquired by WMATA on January 4, 1973.

In later years, new routes 91 and 93 were introduced as the Garfield-Owl Line to provide late night service to routes 90 and 92 from On December 28, 1991 when Anacostia station opened, route 90 was rerouted to operate to the new station while also replacing the Stanton Road Line (94) portion between Anacostia and McLean Gardens when route 94 was shorten to terminate at Anacostia station.

On December 29, 1996, short route 90 trip operating between Duke Ellington Bridge and McLean Gardens during early morning and late night hours, were replaced by an equal number of route 93 trips which was extended from Duke Ellington Bridge to McLean Gardens over the same routing.

On January 13, 2001, route 92 was extended from its Garfield terminus to the newly opened Congress Heights station replacing all Route 91 service. Loop service via 15th and Congress Place, SE, was also discontinued. Route 93 was also shifted to the U Street–Garfield Line and was extended from Shipley Terrace to Congress Heights station alongside the 92. Service was discontinued south of Alabama Avenue (Trenton Place, 19th Street and Savannah Street).

On June 24, 2007, the route was shorten from McLean Gardens to Duke Ellington Bridge in order to improve on time efficiency from the long routes the buses run along. Select rush hour buses would still end at 14th and U streets, NW however. Route 96 would replace the 90, 92, and 93 portion between McLean Gardens and Duke Ellington Bridge.

Between 2010 and 2011, WMATA and the District Department of Transportation began a study on the U Street–Garfield Line. Public meetings and surveys were contributed to passengers on how to improve the lines. Multiple passengers complained about the route being crowded, loud buses, buses behind schedule, low frequency, safety and security, shelters and stops, communication, and extending the western end of line up to Woodley Park station or McLean Gardens again. At the time of the study, routes 90, 92, and 93 were operating out of Southern Avenue division which utilizes Flxibles, D40LFRs, DE40LFAs, and Orion Vs.

On June 22, 2014, all route 92 trips were shorten from Duke Ellington Bridge to U and 14th Streets, NW terminus (U Street station) and all Route 92 southbound service begins at U & 13th Streets, NW (U Street station, 13th Street NW entrance). Service between U Street station and Duke Ellington Bridge is still provided by routes 90 and 93.

In 2015, WMATA proposed to eliminate all route 93 service due to low ridership along Stanton, Pomeroy, and Morris Roads and to simplify the line. Alternative service would be provided by routes 90, 92, and 94.

On March 27, 2016, all route 93 service was discontinued and replaced by routes 90, 92, and 94 running on the same routing. Additional early morning and late evening 90 and 92 trips were added as a result.

On June 24, 2018, additional route 92 trips were added to operate between Congress Heights station and Eastern Market station.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, routes 90 and 92 were reduced to operate on its Saturday supplemental schedule beginning on March 16, 2020. However beginning on March 18, 2020, the line was further reduced to operate on its Sunday schedule. On March 21, 2020, all route 92 weekend service was suspended and route 90 was relegated to operate every 30 minutes. Route 92 weekend service and all full service was restored on August 23, 2020.

In 2020, WMATA proposed to eliminate the 92 short trips between Congress Heights and Eastern Market stations as there is alternative service on each stop and at the request of the District Department of Transportation.

In February 2021 during WMATA's FY2022 budget crisis, WMATA proposed to increase span to add late-night service to 2:00 AM on Route 92 between July and December 2021 in the first half of the fiscal year, but would reduce it back to midnight between January to June 2022 in the second half of the fiscal year. Subsequently on April 22, 2021, WMATA approved the FY2022 budget and received federal funding to avoid service cuts.